Food amounts

[Marie and Hoka]

Hello all, 

I am just checking in about feeding amounts and changes now that Hoka is about 6 months and neutered.

I have him getting 2.5-3 cups of Zignature- multi-protein per day (385 kcal/cup)(962-1155 daily total)

He is still really active and is only 32 lbs; hasn't seemed to gain anything for about a month. He is tall and quite thin under his puffy fur, so he looks really big. Not bony, but definitely thin.

Do you think I should loosen up and feed him more?  I had cut back because of his age and now being neutered. He is, as always, constantly hungry.  He LOVES food. He is one of these dogs who would eat himself to death if I left the bag out... like a goldfish.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

In terms of calories, the amount you are feeding is appropriate for him, especially if it is the higher end of the range. ( 3 cups) 

I would not factor his being neutered into the equation. I really believe it is a myth that dogs gain weight after being desexed. 

But that said, there are some doodles who would eat until they became overweight, especially if they take after the Labby chowhound side of their genetics. So you do need to monitor and limit their intake.

As far as his being thin, that's a good thing. It's always healthier for a dog (or a person) to be a bit underweight than overweight. And Hoka may just have the lean, leggy poodle build that many doodles do have. 

When it comes to assessing a dog's body weight and condition, your vet is the expert on this. They may not know much about nutrition, but most of them are very knowledgeable on weight. 

Here's a good chart for assessing a dog's body condition: http://vet.osu.edu/vmc/body-condition-scoring-chart

[Marie and Hoka]

Thanks!  I have been trying hard to keep him svelte, so of course worry I am over-doing it.  I wish someone controlled my intake.

[Jordan & Daisy]

Marie I often wonder the same thing! Daisy LOVESSSSSS food and always acts like she is starving even though I know we feed her enough calorie-wise and she gets plenty of treats. She is the exact same size as Hoka and we feed 2.4 cups of Acana a day (.8 cups three times), it's 423 cal per cup.  Daisy also has the lean, long leg body type. 

PS I ended up getting the gentle leader body harness (wanted to try this before the head one) and it has made a WORLD of a difference, I almost cried when we went for our first walk lol because she did so well! :)

[Marie and Hoka]

Yay Daisy!!! Love a good harness. Hoka and Daisy will both be beautiful lon- legged model types!

[Jordan & Daisy]

Like their moms! ;)

hehehe.